As of Friday, the Transportation Security Administration had intercepted 6,301 firearms at airport security this year, breaking the previous record set in 2021 when 5,972 guns were seized, the agency announced.
Of the 6,301 firearms intercepted from flier’s carry-on luggage, more than 88% of them were loaded at the time. TSA officials project that, by the end of 2022, 6,600 guns will have been seized, a year-over-year increase of almost 10%.
Since 2010, when only 1,123 guns were seized, the amount of firearm interceptions at airports has continued to increase with the exception of 2020, given the pandemic’s dampening of air travel nationwide.
In an effort to reduce the amount of gun seizure incidents, the TSA has increased the maximum civil penalty for an airport firearms violation from $13,910 to $14,950. Passengers caught with a firearm in their carry-on luggage also lose TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years.
“Firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags at the checkpoint and onboard aircraft. When a passenger brings a firearm to the checkpoint, this consumes significant security resources and poses a potential threat to transportation security,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
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